Networked gaming system with stored value cards and method

ABSTRACT

Disclosed are gaming machines, gaming systems and methods including stored value cards. Networked gaming systems are described which include one or more gaming machines with a stored value card acceptor, casino and/or slot management systems with a stored value server for authenticating stored value cards, verifying stored value, and updating value associated with the stored value cards, and a kiosk system for issuing, validating, and accounting for value associated with updateable stored value cards. The stored value server may also be configured to accept and enforce issuance and redemption rules such as providing for discounted purchase and enhanced redemption.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains materialthat is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has noobjection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent documentor the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and TrademarkOffice patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyrightrights whatsoever.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/402,729 filed Feb. 22, 2012 which application is a continuation ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/272,599 filed Nov. 17, 2008 whichapplication is a continuation-in-part and claims priority from U.S.patent application Ser. No. 11/938,242 filed on Nov. 9, 2007, whichclaims priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application 60/865,528, filedNov. 13, 2006, which are hereby incorporated by reference in itsentirety for all purposes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is directed to wagering games, gaming machines,networked gaming systems and methods and, more particularly, to wageringgames, gaming machines, networked gaming systems and methods includingstored value cards.

2. Description of the Related Art

In the prior art, various types of gaming machines have been developedwith different features to captivate and maintain player interest. Ingeneral, a gaming machine allows a player to play a game in exchange fora wager. Depending on the outcome of the game, the player may beentitled to an award which is paid to the player by the gaming machine,normally in the form of currency or game credits.

While patrons may conventionally utilize currency, redeemable cash outtickets generated by the various gaming machine at the end of gamingsessions, and networked gaming system credits associated with a player'saccount, such as promotional credits, there remains a need for providingwagering patrons with devices, systems and methods providing andutilizing alternative bearer instruments.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention, a networkedgaming system includes one or more gaming machines with a stored valuecard acceptor and a stored value server for authenticating stored valuecards, verifying stored value, and updating value associated with thestored value cards.

In accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention, a kiosk isprovided for accepting currency or other financial instrument andissuing stored value cards in accordance with the currency or otherfinancial instrument, generating a record and transmitting informationabout the transaction including an identifier associated with eachissued stored value card. In accordance with one or more embodiments, akiosk is provided for accepting and verified stored value cards andredeeming the stored value by issuing currency, updating a bank creditor debit account, or other financial instrument.

In accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention, a storedvalue card is provided that includes a stored value card issuable by akiosk and useable at a gaming device wherein the stored value amount andidentifier is downloadable to the gaming device, updateable by thegaming device at the close of a gaming session, and subsequentlyredeemable at a kiosk for the updated stored value.

Other features and advantages will become apparent from the followingdetailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, which illustrate by way of example, the features of thevarious embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1, 1-1, and 1-2 (hereinafter collectively referred to as FIG. 1)collectively illustrate an integrated gaming and stored value cardsystem including distribution sub-system, redemption sub-system, andfeedback analysis sub-system utilizing stored value cards in accordancewith one or more embodiments.

FIGS. 2A-2B illustrate a conventional magnetic card which may be encodedas a stored value card and utilized by a gaming machine card reader inaccordance with one or more embodiments.

FIG. 3 illustrates a stored value integrated gaming system with anexample functional flow in accordance with one or more embodiments.

FIG. 4A-4B illustrate example Microsoft Windows-based graphical displayswhich may be generated by a control station connecting to the storedvalue server and database and/or business intelligence server anddatabase, and, executing a stored value card administration program(“Power Card Client”) in accordance with one or more embodiments.

FIG. 5A-5B illustrates an example stored value card (“Power Card”)Service architecture and flow process in accordance with one or moreembodiments.

FIG. 6A-6B illustrates an example stored value card (“Power Card”)request and response format and/or protocol in accordance with one ormore embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Various embodiments are directed to a gaming machine, gaming networksand methods, wherein stored value cards are generated and utilized inthe gaming environment. The embodiments are illustrated and describedherein, by way of example only, and not by way of limitation.

Referring to FIG. 1, integrated gaming and stored value card system 101is shown including distribution sub-system 103, redemption sub-system105, and feedback analysis sub-system 107 utilizing stored value cards108.

Distribution sub-system 103 comprises a stored value card generator (notshown). The stored value card generator may include a card reader/writerwhich may embed selected information on conventional magnetic stripecards to generate stored value cards 108 in accordance with programmingexecuted by a processor board, such as a conventional motherboard. Theembedded information may include a specific operator designation and avalue, such as $20, which may be used by the operator's equipment toverify the stored value card is valid and determine the value. Thestored value card generator may maintain a database containing thenumber of stored value cards 08 generated for the operator, the value ofeach stored value card and/or the total value, and/or a card identifierfor each card, such that the stored value card generator and/or anassociated stored value server 111 and database may be accessed toverify and/or validate each of the stored value cards when submitted forredemption. Stored value server 111 may comprise a conventional networkconnectable personal computer, server or workstation with executableprogramming to maintain a database of stored value cards 108 associatedwith an operator, to validate the stored value cards when presented forredemption, and to communicate with designated operator systemcomponents, such as by using a conventional G2S protocol approved by theGSA.

Each of the generated stored value cards 108 may be distributed byvarious mechanisms including:

Online Internet purchases—Operator's or an authorized vendor's site 113connected to stored value server 111 may be included within integratedsystem 101 whereby customers may log on, request one or more storedvalue cards, enter payment information, such as a credit card, anddesignate a mailing address for delivery of stored value cards 08.Stored value cards 08 may then be mailed to the specified address.

Direct Mail promotions—Direct mail generator 115 connected to storedvalue server 111 may be included within integrated system 101 todistribute stored value cards 108 as part of one or more directmarketing campaigns.

Retail Outlets—Retail outlets 117 which may be owned by the operator, anauthorized distributor, or a third party retailer, such as Wal-Mart(miscellaneous merchandiser) or Albertson's (grocer), may be includedwithin integrated system 101 whereby stored value cards 108 may be soldor provided promotionally. Retail outlets 117 may include networkconnected kiosks for transferring selected information to stored valueserver 111 or may implement accounting systems for transferring selectedinformation to stored value server 111. In one or more embodiments,third parties, such as retailers, may enrol with an operator to acceptplayer points from an operator's patrons to purchase retailer gift cardsas well as operator stored value cards. In this embodiment, retailer andcasino systems may connect to share player rewards data. Similarly, aretailer's loyalty program may have points that accumulate and that maybe used to purchase an operator's stored value cards.

Free Standing Inserts—Printed publication and distributor 119 mayinclude inserts with stored value card 108 and be included withinintegrated system 101.

Other—Alternative distributors 121 may be integrated within distributionsub-system 103 whereby stored value cards 108 may be distributeddirectly or bundled with other products and/or services. For example,stored value cards 108 may be distributed directly on the floor fromcasino employees; or, they may be left in rooms for guests when theycheck in. Stored value cards 08 may also be bundled with vacation or spapackage deals.

iVIEW—User interface unit 121, such as a Bally iView, may be modified toinclude a stored valued card issuing device and be included withindistribution sub-system 103 whereby customers may purchase stored valuecards 108 from gaming machines using credits on the gaming machine,promotional value on a player's account, or by using some alternativecurrency medium, such as a credit or debit card.

In one or more embodiments, sub-system 103 may include activation server125 whereby patron 127 may be required to telephone an activation phonenumber or access an activation website address connected to activationserver 125 prior to redeeming a stored value card. Optionally, storedvalue cards 108 may not require separate activation and may simply beused by a patron at an authorized device or facility during a validperiod.

Redemption sub-system 105 may include one or more player interface unit131 with a stored value card reader for accepting one or more storedvalue cards 108. Player interface unit 108 may be integrated as afunctional unit of an electronic gaming machine (EGM), such that thevalue associated with a validated stored value card may be downloaded tothe credit meter for wagering on the EGM.

In one or more embodiments, redemption sub-system 105 may includealternative point-of-sale devices (POS) 133 which may be authorized byan operator to accept stored value cards 108 in exchange for purchasesof products, such as food, beverages, clothes, gifts, etc., and/orservices, such as spa and hotel services.

Redemption sub-system 105 further includes casino and slot managementsystems 135/137 network connected to each player interface unit 131 andalternative point-of-sale devices 133, and, providing a communicationlink to authenticate and validate each stored value card 108. Casino andslot management systems 135/137, such as a Bally SDS/CMS and SDS/SMSmodified to accept stored value cards 108 and execute programming toperform the functions as described herein are referenced as CMS 135 andSMS 137, respectively, or CMS/SMS 135/137, collectively. CMS/SMS 135/137may include a stored value server (not shown) and stored valuetransaction history, CRM, and rules databases 139, 141, 143. The storedvalue server may execute coding to communicate with each playerinterface unit 131 and POS device 133, enter and store a record of eachstored value transactions in database 139, evaluate the stored valuetransaction in accordance with stored valued rules entered into a rulesprogram stored in database 143. Example networked gaming systems ascontemplated herein are more fully described in U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 12/269,712, filed 12 Nov. 2008, and is hereby incorporated byreference for all purposes.

The card redemption process includes two authorization steps. First thedata is passed to a Bally system where a rules engine will evaluate thetransaction. If the transaction passes all the rules then thetransaction is passed on to First Data for approval. For example, apromotional card could be created to offer $10 of free play on weekdaymorning before 11 AM. The rules program may be executed to evaluate thetransaction including entering the date and time of the transaction,verifying stored value card 108 is a validly issued stored value cardassociated with the operator, determining that the stored value card hasbeen presented for redemption during a valid period, and if so,determining the value associated with stored value card 108, andtransmitting instructions to the EGM accordingly.

In one or more embodiments, redemptions sub-system may include securednetwork 145 connecting to third party stored value server 147 andassociated stored value database 149 which may perform one or more ofthe authentication and validation rule steps described above. In whichcase, information concerning the authorization and settlementtransactions associated with each stored value card 108 are recorded andmaintained by one or more servers and respective databases, such asthird party database 149 and transaction history database 139. In one ormore embodiments, the third party may perform the functions associatedwith the generating and distribution of stored value cards indistribution sub-system 103, generate records associated with eachstored value card which may include a unique identifier code and value,store the stored value card records in third party stored value database149, and utilize the stored value card records to authenticate andvalidate each stored value cards when presenting for redemption. In thecase where the operator stored value server performs these functions,then the stored value card records may be transmitted and maintained ina database by the stored value server associated with CMS/SMS 135/137 oraccessible by the stored value server for authenticating and validatingeach stored value card 108.

CMS 137 may include a business intelligence (BI) server and database 151including coding executable to evaluate gaming sessions associated witheach stored value card 108. In the event that a patron, who hassubmitted stored value card 108 for redemption, is identified through aplayer card or other form of identification, such as biometricinformation, an existing player account may be accessed and informationabout the current gaming session entered.

Analysis sub-system 107 may include analysis control station 153connectable with the BI server for used either in real-time orthereafter by analyst 155 to execute report summaries which may detailcurrent activity of the patron and prior history and/or executecollective report summaries about gaming activity associated withredeemed stored value cards 108 during selected time frames. Using theinformation, analyst 155 may identify channels, such as retail outlets117 or internet 113, utilized in distribution sub-system 103 thatgenerated greater return-on-investment or more new customers than otherchannels, and, make adjustments such as increasing the number or retailoutlets and/or marketing over the internet. In the event that a thirdparty vendor is utilized to perform one or more of the functionsassociated with distribution sub-system 103, then third party analyst155 may transmit instructions to third party server to effect thedesired adjustments which may include the addition or deletion ofvarious marketing promotions associated with the operator. Also, in theevent that a third party vendor is being used, information associatedwith the stored value transactions may be accessed or transferred to BIdatabase 151 for use by control station 153 as discussed herein. Forexample, stored value card issuance may be effectuated usingconventional equipment and technology, such as is provided by Visantincluding its related services, and, accounting services may be providedconventionally by a financial institution or intermediary, such as byFirst Data, where the funds on deposit associated with the accounts maybe insured by the FDIC.

In one or more embodiments, stored value server programming may alsoinclude modifiable redemption or use options enabling an authorizedoperator employee using a control station, such as a commerciallyavailable Bally control station, may execute a stored value server userprogram enabling the employee to display a set of display windowsproviding the status of various issued stored value cards, a listing oftransactions, and various operator selectable and modifiable options ofthe stored valued card system. For example, a $50 face value storedvalue card may be used at any of the enabled operator facilities forwagers, services, and/or products until the value stored on the card isexpended; however, an operator may modify the redemption value on thecard if used at selected times, such as during mid-week when theoperator may modify the redemption value to $60 of value or modify theredemption value to $70 of value if you are a casino patron with aplayer's card.

Thus, using the analytical tools and services implemented within CMS/SMS135/137, casino operators may adjust their many stored value programs toincrease their effectiveness. For example, analyst 155 may modifyparameters or rules associated with one or more marketing programs andassociated distribution channels, and, may modify programming to enhancethe experience at the point of purchase, such as player interface unit131 or alternative POS device 133 including PMS, Golf, Spa, etc.

In one or more embodiments, various promotions or rewards may beprovided to patrons with player cards. For example, stored value cards108 may be purchased through a hosted website and sent to a third partyas a gift, such as a birthday, graduation, or anniversary gift. Patronswith player cards may obtain additional points or promotional benefitsfor purchasing stored value cards for either personal or third partyuse, or, if the stored value card is purchased by a patron with a playercard and a third party recipient uses the stored value card as a firsttime patron of an operator then the patron who bought the stored valuecard may receive additional rewards for introducing the new patron.

In one or more embodiments, an example promotion may be implementedthrough periodicals with inserted stored value cards 108 (119) wherebythe operator offers $10 of free play on stored value card 108 that maybe included as a free standing insert (119) in Sunset Magazine for theregion where the casino is located. To encourage the patron to redeemthe stored value card during a period desired by the operator toincrease business, the stored value card 108 may be valid for the nextweek or month or selected days or times during a given week or month.For example, if weekdays before 11 AM are typically not busy, the offercould provide an additional $10 if stored value card 108 is redeemedduring that time frame.

In one or more embodiments, an example promotion may be initiatedthrough direct mail generator 115 to encourage the return of priorpatrons. For example, an operator may modify programming of the directmail channel or initiate a new direct mail program that generates storedvalue cards 108 with a $50 value and sends them by mail to patrons whohave been inactive for a period of time. Alternatively, a letter may besent that may be brought to the casino and used to obtain stored valuecard 108 at an operator's patron services station. In one or moreembodiments, CMS/SMS 135/137 may transmit a returning patron signal toan operator control station notifying an operator employee monitoringthe control station of the event. Pursuant to the signal, the system maytransmit a message to a patron services host including the patron nameand location so that the patron services host may personally welcome thereturning patron and provide any additional services or rewards that maybe authorized by the operator.

In one or more embodiments, distribution sub-system 103 may include amarketing promotion through one or more channels, such as through playertracking unit 123 or direct mail generator 125 or regional retailoutlets 117, whereby players may be offered discounted stored valuecards valid for selected regions, such as Las Vegas, Atlantic City,Detroit, etc., where the operator seeks to drive its business. Forexample, a patron visiting Casino Las Vegas could be offered theopportunity through player interface unit 123 to purchase a $110 giftcard for $100 that would be valid for the next six months at CasinoAtlantic City which may be owned and/or operated by the same operator.

In an example embodiment, a stored value card (“Power Card”) integratedsystem may be comprised of the following sub-systems:

Power Card Server—Server host components include a Power Card WebService and Power Card Windows Service.

Power Card Client—The Power Card Client application provides cardactivation, a report viewer, and general administration functions.Details are provided in the description of a stored value card client.

Reports—Reports may be created using SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services.Various reports may be available including: a Customer Disputes reportwhich may provide the state and transaction detail for a specificaccount, Card Summary of transactions report which may provide a listingof all or a selected subset of redeemed or used stored value cards for aselected time frame, and, an Exceptions report which may provide alisting of errors encountered during processing of stored value cardsfor a selected time frame.

Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, conventional card 201 is shown inaccordance with one or more embodiments which may be read by a cardreader such as one included with player interface unit 123. Conventionalcard 201 may be comprised of a conventional magnetic stripe plastic orrigid paper card readable by a magnetic card reader, such as a cardreader associated with player interface unit 123. Conventional card 201may be generated to serve as a player card, stored value card, or othercard, such as a credit or debit card.

For operation within a networked gaming system, the magnetic strip maybe coded in a card format compatible for reading by EGM and/or CMS/SMS135/137 and/or for translation into a format compatible with storedvalue server and/or other system devices required to implement theprocess. By example, some conventional magnetic stripe cards, such asplayer tracking and employee cards readable by conventional SDSnetworked gaming systems use Track 1 and Track 2. Stored value card 108may be programmed using only one track and any additional information ona second track may be programmed to be ignored by player tracking unit123. The stored value card application may be implemented using alimited amount of stored information which may include a Casino ID andan Account Number associated with the specific stored value card, suchthat stored value server may authenticate and validate a stored valuecard 108 submitted for redemption with data stored at or about the timeof issuance of the stored value card and transmit or verify a valueassociated with the stored value card.

By example, an existing card protocol, such as a Bally SDS card readerprotocol, may have three different formats on one track, such asStandard, Customer encoding, and/or Multi property encoding. All threeformats for cards, such as player cards, read by player interface unit123 may be on one track in descending order. Stored value cards 108 mayonly require and modify one of these formats, such as the multi-propertyformat. Therefore, the same data may be duplicated three times on thecard to make the card more robust against physical damage and clumsycard entries.

In one or more embodiments, stored value cards may have twomodifications to the multi-property format. One may be the addition of a‘Z’ value to the function type field to enable the system to identifythe card as a stored value card as opposed to a player card. The otherchange may be to add additional characters to provide a 16 digit accountcode for a stored value card versus account codes that may be 10 digitsfor a player card.

Stored value cards may be conventionally formed with plastic or a rigidpaper. Conventionally, the physical card may conform to thespecifications of ISO7810 ID-1. Magnetic encoding may conform toISO7811. Characters may be encoded in ANSI/ISO Alpha data format (7 bit,6 data bits+1 parity bit (odd)) (enumerated in ISO7811). A Data fieldmay be delimited by a start sentinel and ad end sentinel followed by anLRC (as defined in ISO7811)

An example stored value card multi-property encoding may conform to thefollowing format: ‘cccZnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn’, where: ccc=3 charactersdenoting the casino ID (the gmu will match this with its option table ofacceptable casino id's; Z=the character ‘Z’ to distinguish a power cardfrom a player card and an employee card; nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn=16 numericcharacters (0-9) designating the serial number of the card

An example of a fully delimited field may be: ‘%cccZnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn?L’, %=start sentinel; ?=end sentinel; L=LRC(Longitudinal Redundancy Check). Given there may be room for a total of79 characters on track one of a conventional ISO7811 magnetic stripecard, the encoded information may be repeated three times. Card readersassociated with player interface unit 123 may operate together with asystem game monitoring unit (GMU) housed with or connected to playerinterface unit 123 and the card reader, such that the card reader may beprogrammed to catch the first valid fully delimited field it finds andsend the data portion to the GMU. If arbitrarily un-used characterpositions are filled with the ‘0’ character then an example of a fulltrack on stored value card 108 may be: 0000% cccZnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn?L000%cccZnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn?L000% cccZnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnn?L

As discussed above, in one or more embodiments, a third party mayperform one or more aspects of distribution sub-system 105. In suchcase, the protocols and formats utilized by CMS/SMS 135/137 may betranslated into an associated protocol and format readable by a thirdparty server. For example, the protocol used for communicating with athird party may comprise the third party's proprietary protocol.Information contained on stored value cards 108 may be translated tothis protocol prior to sending to the third party server and thereceived responses may be translated into the protocol used by CMS/SMS135/137.

In one or more embodiments, the stored value card does not store anyindividual patron's information and may be anonymously redeemed by anybearer. In one or more embodiments, the stored value card may beinserted into an EGM's card reader where it may be identified by thesystem and validated; once determined valid, the funds associated withthe stored value card are downloaded onto the credit meter of the EGMwhere the funds may either be played or cashed out. In one or moreembodiments, the patron may either insert a player card into a dual cardreader or, in the case of a single card reader, remove the stored valuecard and insert the player card into the card reader, so that the patronmay be identified by the system and associate the player's playingactivity with his account for the accumulation of rewards points andeligibility for special bonuses, such as Bally's Power Winners. In oneor more embodiments, with the player card inserted, the value on thecredit meter may be uploaded to the player's account. In one or moreembodiments where the patron may wish to play anonymously at anothertime, the amount remaining on the credit meter at the end of the sessionmay be uploaded to the account associated with the stored value card. Inone or more embodiments, the stored value card may be locked in the cardreader during the entire playing session and when the patron concludesthe session by pressing a cash out button, the amount on the creditmeter may automatically be uploaded to the stored value card and thecard reader then may release the stored value card for removal by thepatron.

Example transactions which may be effected in the use of stored valuecards at a gaming device using the networked gaming system includingstored value card devices and processes, may include:

Stored Value Card (SVC) Transaction Type 1—Insert money into CasinoPlayer Account

Player inserts SVC into player tracking card reader

Data read from SVC card and transferred to GMU

Card data is sent to casino server for authentication and validation

Card data forwarded to financial institution for available stored valuebalance

Stored value balance sent from financial institution to casino server

Casino server sends available Stored Value Balance to requesting EGM

Value presented to customer on iVIEW or on Main game screen

Customer inputs all or enters a specific amount of available StoredValue Balance

Player asked if he/she wants to store value into player account

If YES—

Player removes Stored Value card

Player inserts Casino Players Club Card

Player enters PIN of Players Club Card into input device

If card and Pin are valid then authorization to put desired funds intoPlayer account is approved

Stored Value Card financial institution notified by stored value serverof CMS/SMS 135/137 of desired amount of withdrawal. If financialinstitution approves transaction then CMS 135 adds money to playersaccount. Casino operator may optionally add bonus funds if card is usedby a certain date or satisfies other business rules.

Financial institution reduces available Stored Value by approved amount.

Stored Value Card (SVC) Transaction Type 2—Transferred directly to SlotMachine for an Anonymous player.

Player inserts SVC into player tracking card reader

Player inserts SVC into player tracking card reader

Data read from SVC card

SVC Card data is sent to casino servers

Card data forwarded to financial institution for available stored valuebalance

Stored value Balance sent from financial institution to casino server

Casino server sends available Stored Value Balance to requesting EGMValue presented to customer on iVIEW or on Main game screen

Customer inputs all or enters a specific amount of available StoredValue Balance.

Player asked if he/she wants to store value into player account

If NO—

Stored Value Card financial institution notified by CMS/SMS 135/137 ofdesired amount of withdrawal.

If financial institution approves transaction then Bally Systems addmoney to EGM specific temporary funds account at server. Casino mayoptionally add bonus funds if card is used by a certain date or otherbusiness rules.

Financial institution reduces available Stored Value by approved amount.

Temporary EGM specific funds account value transferred to EGM creditmeter.

Referring to FIG. 3, stored value integrated gaming system 301 is shownwith an example functional flow in accordance with one or moreembodiments.

In an example stored value card (“Power Card”) purchase and redemptionprocess the following steps may be implemented using a kiosk or asfurther described herein (not shown) for purchasing a stored value card,network-connected EGM 303 for receiving and redeeming the stored valuecard, slot data system 305 connecting to EGM 303 for facilitatingcommunication and stored value transactions, Power Card Service 307, andAccounting (“First Data”) system 309. Once purchased, the card may bethen activated by Casino personnel. The Power Card client applicationprovides a function for card activation. Once the card is activated, thepatron may insert the card in any EGM 303. A message may then bedisplayed on the player interface display, such as an iView display, forthe value of the card and prompt the patron, “Do you wish to redeem $xxon the Game?” When the patron presses “Yes”, the corresponding funds areloaded on the game. Alternatively, the patron may ask for a selectedamount to be redeemed from the card. If the patron presses “No”, thefunds remain on the account and can be transferred at a later time.

Referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B, example Microsoft Windows-based graphicaldisplays 401 and 403 which may be generated by a control stationconnecting to the stored value server and database and/or businessintelligence server and database, and, executing a stored value cardadministration program (“Power Card Client”) in accordance with one ormore embodiments.

The Power Card Client may be a web-based GUI application and support oneor more of the following functions:

Card Activation—Card Activation allows activating a single card or arange of cards.Unlock Card—If the card is left in locked state and still holds theamount on the card, this option will allow the account to be unlocked.Once the card is redeemed this option cannot be used.Administration—The following operations may be supported through thecontrol station connecting to the stored value card server on CMS/SMS135/137:Add User—This would allow adding new accounts for casino personnel touse the client application.De-activate Card—This functionality is provided for exception scenarioslike the amount could not be redeemed on the card due to some technicalissues, so the amount is issued to the user manually. In such case, thecard may be deactivated to prevent duplicative usage.Update Configuration—This interface may allow the client to configureinformation like merchant ID, alternate merchant ID, IP and Port ofFirst Data connection, etc.Customer Dispute Report—This report shows the audit trail pertaining toa single Card. This allows casino personnel to refer to this report incase of any conflict between what the patron think his/her card has vs.what the system says.Card Summary Report—This report displays the transactions that happenedduring the time specified in terms of activations, balance inquiries andredemptions.Exception Details Report—This report stores all the errors/validationfailures that occurred during the specified date range.

Referring to FIGS. 5A and 5B, example Power Card Service architecture501 and flow process 503 are shown in accordance with one or moreembodiments. One or more embodiments may include the followingcomponents:

Power Card Web Service—The Power Card web services may be SOAP based,such as SOAP binding 1.1. The Web Service may be written using WindowsCommunication Foundation (WCF) and may be hosted in an IIS.

ProcessCard—ProcessCard program may be executable by GMU when a patroninitiated event occurs, such as a request to activate an account,perform a balance inquiry or redeem funds from the account. When therequest is received, the GMU transmits a request to the stored valueserver on CMS/SMS 135/137 in accordance with the patron request andincludes identifying information of the stored value card and EGM.Responsive to the request, the stored value server executes a responseprogram which may include accessing the stored value card accountinformation, authenticating the card, validating the value associatedwith the account, and transmitting a corresponding message to the EGMresponsive to the request. In one or more embodiments, the stored valueserver or a server designated within the SDS, validates the request andwrites the request to the Power Card Request Queue and returns themessage ID generated (GUID) to the client.

GetResults—The client then may execute a GetResults program to get theresult of the request submitted. This may be performed in a two stepprocess. On the successful receipt of the Power Card Response throughexecution of the GetResults program, the host system (in the case of aredemption request) transfers the amount to the game.

MeterUpdateAcknowledgement—As part of an account redemption, thisservice may be called to acknowledge that funds have been transferred tothe game and complete the card transaction. The condition (state) of thecard may then be revised to a ‘confirmed’ condition.

Flow diagram 503 illustrates an example flow between the game, GMU, SDS,and Power card application:

Message Layer: Microsoft Message Queuing Service (MSMQ) may be leveragedto provide the messaging back bone. It may provide reliable messagingfunctionality, fault tolerance, and allow decoupling of the request andmessage processing.

Power Card Windows Service: The Power Card Windows service maycontinuously monitor the Power Card Request queue for new messages (foractivation, balance inquiry or redemption). When a new message iswritten to the queue, the system may process the request using thecomponents below and write the response to the Power Card ResponseQueue. The message may stay in the response queue until the host system(e.g. SDS) retrieves the response. It may perform this operation byinvoking the GetResults service method and passing the message ID thatwas returned from the ProcessCard service.

Power Card Windows Service may include:

Message Processor: The Message Processor may manage MSMQ handlingoperations. It may be notified (message received event) of a messageavailable in the Power Card Request queue. It may asynchronously submitthe request to the Power Card Facade for processing and continue waitingfor new messages. Additionally, it may also write the response receivedfrom the Event Processor component to the Power Card Response Queue.

Facade Layer: As the name suggests, this layer may use the Facade designpattern and manage the orchestration for other components to process therequest. It may validate the request and invoke the MessageCommunicator.

Message Parser: The Message Parser may encapsulate the First Datamessage parsing logic, convert the request into a third party (FirstData) protocol specific string. Additionally, it may convert theresponse stream received from the third party (First Data) into ageneric object. Other SDS components may act on this generic object toperform various functions including updating the transaction databaseand transmitting a response to the requesting EGM.

Message Communicator: The role of the Message Communicator may be toconnect with a third party (such as First Data), send requests, andreceive responses. It is also may be responsible for maintainingcontinuous connectivity with First Data by sending keep-alive messages.This class may be a singleton in nature that allows maintaining a socketconnection rather than getting a new socket connection for each message.This may help improve application performance. Calls to First Data maybe made asynchronously to avoid blocking a calling thread. When theresponse is received from First Data, an event may be signalled to theEvent Processor component that processes the event further. In the eventa response is not received from First Data in the configured time-frame,the message communicator raises the event that a timeout conditionoccurred allowing the event processor to produce a response for theclient that initiated the request.

Event Processor: As mentioned above, the Event Processor may handle theresponse received from First Data. It may use the Message Processor toparse the response stream received from First Data into a generic objectand updates the database. It may then raise the event to process to theMessage Processor to write the response into the Power Card ResponseQueue.

Database Layer: The Object Role Modelling (ORM) tool named NHibernatemay be used to handle database operations. NHibernate is one of thepopular open source ORM tools available and provides abstraction fromthe database design. This further encapsulates other database operationslike transaction handling, state management, and caching to name a few.

Log Archival: Information may be logged at multiple levels in the logfiles. This component may operate on a separate thread and move olderlog files to a separate folder. The time duration for moving/cleaningthe log files may be configured in the configuration file.

Referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, an example stored value card (“PowerCard”) request and response format and/or protocol is shown inaccordance with one or more embodiments.

In the example, a third party stored value card vendor maintains adatabase of the information concerning each issued stored value card andits associated account as previously described in FIG. 1. Communicationmay be enabled through a conventional Web Service channel.

In the example, a stored value card may be inserted into a card readerof an EGM connected to CMS/SMS 135/137. Several options may be providedon the player interface display, such as Activate Card, Balance Inquiry,and Redemption requests, and the patron may select one of the options bypressing an associated button or the display (touch sensitive display).Accordingly, using its card reader executable programming, the GMU mayuse the information provided by the card and the associated request bythe patron to generate the PowerCardRequest in format shown in FIG. 3A.The PowerCardRequest may be transmitted to the stored value server ofCMS/SMS 135/137; whereupon, the stored value server may executeprogramming to create a transaction record in its transaction databaseand process the request in accordance with the rules implemented in itsprogramming which in this example includes formatting the request in theformat and protocol readable by the third party stored value card serverand transmitting the reformatted Power CardRequest to the third partystored value card server. The translation step may be eliminated in oneor more embodiments by incorporating a platform, such as WCF (WindowsCommunication Foundation). In which case, the Web Service may be createdwithin WCF and provide a communication platform that allows the webservice implementation to be separate from protocols and binding. Thisfeature may allow moving to different protocols, binding and channelswithout changing the implementation.

One or more embodiments may provide a Message Parser. The parsing of themessages to and from a third party may be stored at a separatecomponent. This allows loose coupling of the rest of the logic from thethird party data protocol. At any later point of time if the third partychanges its protocol, or CMS/SMS 135/137 needs to support new messagesof reload, partial redemption, changes in the existing logic may not berequired. This same module can be used to support different protocolssince the definition is described in an XML format.

One or more embodiments may provide for the generating of a CustomerDispute Report through the control station. This report may allowviewing the state and entire transaction history for the card. In thecase of disputes, this report will be used to see the audit trailassociated with the card and provide for immediate response to thecustomer.

The various embodiments described above are provided by way ofillustration only and should not be construed to limit the claimedinvention. For example, it may further be appreciated that a storedvalue card in accordance with one or more aspects of the invention maybe associated with a table game such as poker or blackjack.

Those skilled in the art will readily recognize various modificationsand changes that may be made to the claimed invention without followingthe example embodiments and applications illustrated and describedherein, and without departing from the true spirit and scope of theclaimed invention, which is set forth in the following claims.

1. A method for accepting, analyzing and altering the use of storedvalue cards in an environment including (i) one or more gaming venuesproviding gaming at one or more gaming machines, (ii) point of sale(POS) venues offering goods or services for purchase and (iii) acommunication network for said gaming and POS venues, said methodcomprising; enabling issuance of stored value cards to having an initialstored redemption value X at one or more of said gaming venues, a thirdparty venue or at an Internet website; providing for redemption of saidvalue cards at a gaming machine or POS terminal at one of said gamingvenues; enabling a stored value server to be configured for (a) storingdata relating to the issuance of stored value cards including for eachissuance tracking data and said stored redemption value X, for (b)communicating with said gaming machine or POS terminal to enableredemption of said stored value cards and to receive and storeredemption tracking data with respect to said value cards and for (c)one or more of (i) receiving and enforcing redemption rule data forincreasing the redemption value X where said rule is satisfied andreceiving and enforcing a stored value card issuance rule which, ifsatisfied, provides for the acquisition of said value card for valueless than X; programming a business intelligence server for analyzingone or more of said issuance tracking data and said redemption trackingdata.
 2. The method of claim 1 comprising enabling said stored valuecard server to be configured for receiving and enforcing redemption ruledata relating to one or more of a time, a location, a gaming machine ora POS terminal at which a redemption value greater than X will beaccorded to the value card.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein said one ormore gaming venues include a player loyalty system configured awardloyalty points to a player, said method comprising enablingcommunication between said loyalty system and said stored value serverand enabling said stored value card server to accept loyalty points topurchase a stored value card.
 4. The method of claim 1 wherein said oneor more gaming venues include a player loyalty system configured awardloyalty points to a player, said method comprising enablingcommunication between said loyalty system and said stored value cardserver and enabling said stored value card server and said loyaltysystem to award loyalty points to a player for one or more ofacquisition or redemption of a stored value card.
 5. A method foraccepting, analyzing and altering the use of stored value cards in anenvironment including (i) one or more gaming venues providing gaming atone or more gaming machines, (ii) a loyalty system configured to awardloyalty points to players in exchange for gaming activities, (iii) pointof sale (POS) venues offering goods or services for purchase and (iii) acommunication network for said gaming and POS venues, said methodcomprising; enabling issuance of stored value cards to having an initialstored redemption value X at one or more of said gaming venues, a thirdparty venue or at an Internet website; providing for redemption of saidvalue cards at a gaming machine or POS terminal at one of said gamingvenues; enabling a stored value server to be configured for (a) storingdata relating to the issuance of stored value cards including for eachissuance tracking data and said stored redemption value X, for (b)communicating with said gaming machine or POS terminal to enableredemption of said stored value cards and to receive and storeredemption tracking data with respect to said value cards and for (c)one or more of (i) receiving and enforcing redemption rule data forincreasing the redemption value X where said rule is satisfied andreceiving and enforcing a stored value card issuance rule which, ifsatisfied, provides for the acquisition of said value card for valueless than X; enabling a player to exchange loyalty points to acquire astored value card; providing for the awarding of loyalty points to aplayer in exchange for acquisition of a stored value card; andprogramming a business intelligence server for analyzing one or more ofsaid issuance tracking data and said redemption tracking data.
 6. Asystem to accept, analyze and alter the use of stored value cards in anenvironment including (i) one or more gaming venues providing gaming atone or more gaming machines, (ii) point of sale (POS) venues offeringgoods or services for purchase and (iii) a communication network forsaid gaming and POS venues, said method comprising; stored value cardshaving an initial stored redemption value X issued to players at one ormore of said gaming venues, a third party venue or at an Internetwebsite; redemption apparatus a gaming machine or POS terminal tointerface with said issued stored value cards for redemption of thestored value for gaming or a POS transaction; a stored value server incommunication with said network and an associated data structure to (a)store in a data file tracking data related to the issuance of storedvalue cards including for each issuance card identification data andsaid stored redemption value X, (b) communicate with said redemptionapparatus to enable redemption of said stored value cards and to updatesaid tracking to include data reflecting said redemption and (c) one ormore of (i) receive and enforce redemption rule data for increasing theredemption value X when said rule is satisfied and receive and enforce astored value card issuance rule which, if satisfied, provides for theacquisition of said value card for value less than X; a businessintelligence server configured to analyze said issuance tracking data.